Six-wheel car-truck



C. T. WESTLAKE.

SIX WHEEL CAR TRUCK.

APPLICATION HLED MAR. 15, 1920.

ml ssva Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

units!) STATES PATENT orriee...

CHARLES T. WESTLALKE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 COMMO STEEL COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CQEPORATION OF NEW N'WEAL 'IZl JERSEY.

SIX-WHEEL CAB-TRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. .725,

Application filed March 15,1920. Serial No. 865,828.

T 0 all whom it may 0077 cor-n LAKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Six- Wheel Car-Trucks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this sp ec1fica-. tion.

My invention relates generally to railway car truck construction and more particularly to an improved arrangement whereby the weight of loads imposed on the main truck bolster are transmitted to and evenly distributed between the journals of the three axles associated with the truck.

The principal objects of my invention are, to generally improve upon and simplify the construction of the existing types of six wheel trucks; to materially increase the flexibility of the truck; to provide for the equal distribution and absorption of shocks and vibration due to track irregularities and prevent such shocks and vibrations from being transmitted to the car body; and, further, to provide a strong durable truck \Vl1lCll,Dy virtue of its relatively simple construction and few parts, may be easily and cheaply produced.

.ltiiy invention consists of a main bolster having cross members on its ends, said cross members being disposed centrally between the middle and outer axles the projecting ends of said cross members resting upon springs of unequal strength and said springs being supported by side frame members which in turn are supported by the truck journal boxes. By properly proportioning the. strength or tension of the springs, twothirds of the supported load will be transmitted to the outer axles, and one-third to the inner axle, thus equally distributing said load between all of the journals. I

"With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a six wheel truck of my improved construction, parts thereof being broken away" Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the truck. 4

i 1g. 3 IS a cross section taken approxi mately on the line 33 of Fig. 2. j Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a. practical embodiment of my invention, 10, 10 designate ordinary wheel carrying axles, the

journals of which are positioned in ordinary journal boxes 11. Supported by the middle journal box are the inner ends of a pair of side frame members 12, the outer ends thereof being supported by the journal boxes for the outer pair of axles. These side frame members are arranged upon the journal boxes in any desired and convenient 11121111161,'Wl1l0l1 will permit them to move vertically i .lependcnt of each other, and as illustrated in Fig. 1, I prefer to bifurcate the inner end of one of said members as designated by 12 and arrange the inner end 14 of the other member between the legs or parts formed by such bifurcation. The parts of the side frame members intermediate the end portions which rest upon the ournal boxes are depressed so that their upper surfaces occupy a plane substantiallybelow the plane occupied by the ends of said members.

The truck bolster which is preferably formed in a single piece by casting, includes a pair of transversely arranged spaced center members 15, a pair of side bearing members 16, and a pair of transversely disposed end members 17. The central .portions of the center members 15 are united by a horizontally disposed web or plate 18 and ar ranged thereupon is a center bearing 19. The side bearing members 15 occupy positions inside and adjacent to the wheels on the central one of the axles l0 and the cross members l7v-are positioned at points substantially halfway bet-ween the center axle and the end axles. These cross members 17 are extended laterally beyond the ends of the side bearing members 16 and formed integral with their outer ends are short rail members :20 which, when the parts of the truck are properly assembled, occupy positions immediately above the depressed intermediate portions of the side frame members l2.

The ends of the members 20 have sliding connection with upright portions 12 of the side frame members between the depressed central portions and the end portions which said members and the portions of the side frames which are adjacent to the outer journal boxes 11 are springs 23. These springs are arranged in multiple, 2'. 6. side by side as contra-distinguished from a tandem arrangement, that is, end to end; therefore, springs 22 and 23 carry all. of the load imparted to them directly and without trans-- mitting it through another spring as in the tandem arrangement mentioned. The

' springs 23 are relatively heavier and therefore have greater load carrying capacity than the springs 22, the proportions being such that two-thirds of the weight of the loads imposed by the truck frame on the two sets ofsprings will be transmitted. to the outer axles and one-third to the middle axle. As a result of this arrangement, the

weight of loadscarried by the truclr frame is distributed equally between the three journals on each side of the truck and consequently distributed equally between all of the truck journals.

While I prefer to form the entire bolster and the side frame members in single pieces by casting, it will be understood that said parts may be of assembled or fabricated structure. Where the bolster is cast in a single piece, the parts 15, 16 aud 17 are pref erably channel-shape with horizontally disposed flanges and the membcrs20 are preferably of inverted U-shape, this latter formation providing housings for the upper portions of the spring" 22 and 23.

m The load distributing arrangement contemplated by my invention is comparatively simple, may be easily and cheaply manufactured, materially increases the flexibility of the truck, and is very effective in performing its intended functions.

It will be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved sixwheel car truck may be-made and. substituted for those herein shown and described, Without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A flexible support for railway car trucks comprising side frame members supported by the journal boxes associated with I revise? the truck, a pair of springs arranged in multiple and bearmg upon each side frame member, said springs having different .oad

carryin capacities, and atruck bolster supv ported y. said springs.

. 2. A flexible support for railway car trucks comprising a pair of separately formed side frame members supported by the journal boxes associated with the truck, a pair of springs'arranged in multiple and supported by each side frame member, one of said springs having greater carrying capacity than the other, and a truck bolster supported by said springs. I

i 3. A flexible support for railway car trucks comprising a pair of separately formed side frame members supported upon the journal boxes associated with the truck, a truck bolster having parts overlyin the intermediate portions of said side rame members, and a pair of springs arranged in multiple and having different load carrying capacities disposed'between each side frame.

member and the bolster part overlying the same.

4. In a six wheel car truck, a pair ofwoperating separately formed side frame members supported by the journal boxes of the truck, relatively light springs supported by said side frame members adjacent to the middle journal box, heavier springs. supported by said side frame members adjacent to the outer j ournal boxes, and a truck frame supported by said springs.

5. In asix wheel car truck, a pair of separately formed side {frame members supported by the truck journal boxes, a truclr bolster having parts overlying the interme diate portions of each of said side frame members and operating in open. ended recesses or 'pockets therein, and springs in said open ended pockets and interposed between said side frame members and the overlying'parts of the bolster, which springs are arranged so as to equally distribute between the truck journalsthe weight of loads imposed on the truck frame. v

6. In a six wheel car truck, a pair of separately formed side frame members supported by the truck journal boxes, a truck bolster having parts overlying the intermediate portions of said side frame members, and a pair of springs arranged in multiple andinterposed between each side frame member and the overlying portion of the, truck bolster, the members of each pair of springs havinlg different load carrying capacities.

7. n a six wheel car truck, a pair of separately formed side frame members supported by the truck journal boxes, a truck bolster having parts overlying the interme diate portions of said side frame members, and a pair of springs interposed between each side frame member and the overlying portion. of the truck bolster, the members lot of each pair of springs hevingdifferent load carrying capacities, and disposed so as to equally distribute between the truck jour- 112118 the weight of loads imposed on the truck bolster.

8. In a six wheel car truck, a, pair of sepzira-tely formed side frame members the in ner ends of- Which bear upon the middle journal box ofthe truck, the outer ends of 10 said members bearing upon the outer journnl boxes, a pair of springs supported by,

each side frame member, said sprin s having.

different load carrying oupaoieies and Wish the heavier spring positioned adjacent to the outer journal box, and a bolster supported by said springs.

In testimony whereof I hereunto MGR); my signature this 9th day or March, 1920.

CHARLES T. VIESTLAKE. 

